l
Well.
Leo frowns, chewing decidedly, at the empty lunch table. The table that he normally ate with Jason and Piper is completely empty. No Jason shuffling through papers and reciting notes. No Piper playing air guitar and laughing at jokes.
Leo feels a little suffocated standing in the crowded room and finds his way outside. It's unreasonably cold, so Leo has to put on his ugly looking chullo hat and zip up his too big coat. He throws out his lunch except for his apple, not very in the mood for eating anymore. Outside, amongst the scattered yard of his school, sat and talked pocketfuls of the student population.
Through his years of high school and years of pranks, Leo knew the back of the school was more deserted, except for the few slackers and smokers.
To his surprise, he finds Calypso smoking in a white ski jacket. Really, he shouldn't have been surprised, as the back of the school lacked any type of teachers milling around. There's only a small camera near one of the doors watching and memorizing carefully.
"Sup?" Leo bites into his apple. Calypso looks up from her phone and lets out an air of smoke.
"Leo." Calypso mumbles, fidgeting. Her finger glides over her phone quickly. "What're you doing here? You should go to your friends."
"You're my friend, lady," Leo says.
"God," Calypso coughs.
When she doesn't say anything, Leo continues eating. Calypso doesn't seem to mind his intruding but doesn't make any conscious effort to start the conversation again.
Leo's down to the apple core when he says it.
"Can I try?"
Calypso snaps her wristband.
"Y'know," Leo waves his hands around to clarify, "The fagging thing."
Calypso coughs hard enough that she stumbles. Leo makes a move to help her, but she holds to a hand for him to pause. When she looks up, her eyes are brimming with tears. "What?"
"Isn't that what you call it?" Leo flicks an apple seed at her. "Smoking."
"Holy shit," Calypso scans Leo's face. She gives out a pleasant chortle. It sends a warm feeling into Leo's stomach even if he can tell she's poking fun at him. "That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Where do you even think I'm from?"
"Europe." Leo shrugs. "Your accent is weird."
"I'm mid accent change and I like messing with people," Calypso snorts. She crushes her cigarette under her foot. "Jesus, Leo."
Leo stomps on the crushed nicotine for good measure. "Where are you from? Definitely not here, I would've seen you before." Leo would've seen Calypso because she's hot and mature. Leo notices hot people, and holy shit he would notice Calypso.
"Greece. Born and raised in one of the more popular cities, before moving to one of the islands nearby." Calypso sobers up. "Not that it matters- my dad travels a lot, taking me with him."
"What's he do?" Leo itches to feel the burn that is sure to follow any smoking he's to do. He makes a grab for it, and Calypso raises the box over her head effortlessly. "To travel so much."
"Photographer. For Atlas magazine. Capturing every part of the world one click at a time," Calypso rehearses the magazine's motto in a robotic tone. "My mom took off when I was little, and he wanted to get over that. Some crap about wanting to believe that the world can be beautiful even with all its ugly people."
Leo nods. "I take Photo. As a class- not a hobby or job or anything."
Calypso gives him a suspicious look and Leo raises his hands in surrender. "I'm not that good at it anyway. Right now, all I have is Nico to depend on."
"Hmm," Contrary to her earlier movements, Calypso does hold up a single cigarette to Leo. "Nico Di Angelo?"
Leo greedily snatches it, beaming at her. He fingers the stick carefully. "Yeah. Kinda short, kinda depressing. I think he's a freshman or something. Speaking of-"
"I'm a Junior." Calypso's phone gets pushed into her back jeans pocket. "Not that it matters. I'm supposed to have graduated by now, but moving too much can mess up your education."
"That's cool," Leo says nonchalantly as if that's not one of the coolest things he's heard. He knows an older girl, one who seems to have a slight bit of interest in him. And she's really hot. If that's not an anomaly, Leo's not sure what is.
"Don't waste that, cigarettes are expensive," Calypso warns, her fingers trembling as she lights the cigarette held between her lips. She lights up Leo's, leaving it glowing and burning hot. "Anyway. Nico Di Angelo likes you?"
Leo coughs after sucking in. Every cough racks through his body as smoke forces its way out. Calypso waits amusedly for his answer. "I-I'm not sure. His friends are cool. He's a cool guy I guess."
The bell rings to signal the switch from lunch to the next class period. Leo doesn't have to worry about it (free period) but he's not too sure if Calypso has to get to class now.
Calypso makes no effort to move. "I'm surprised you're not going to your friends. Your best friends, I mean."
He doesn't know why, but it pisses him off to hear that. "I'm surprised you're not going to class."
"Fair enough," Calypso shrugged. "But I don't particularly like Astronomy. But you like your friends, don't you?"
"Shut up." Leo spits out the cigarette. He's gotten tired and grossed out at the taste by this time. It burns on the ground until he grinds it with his sneaker.
"Sorry," Calypso apologizes. She pulls out her phone and glances briefly to check the time. "Do you want to get out of here?" Her thumb is bent behind her to the back of the school.
"Yeah," Leo adjusts his hat. Hell yes, does he want to leave. "Got anywhere in mind?"
"Not really," Calypso admits. "You?"
"Nope," Leo grins. "Perfect."
He skips the rest of the day.
Leo comes home at 4, subjecting himself to the whining of Harley as the kid complains about Leo not being home in time. In return, Leo promises to play video games with him over the weekend.
Harley's the only one home, making him the only human contact for Leo.
"Leo," Harley knocks on the bathroom door. Leo curses the fact that the two of them share a bathroom. "I'm coming in. I really got to go."
"No. I'm showering. Go use the bathroom downstairs."
"Okay, I won't look." Harley completely ignores Leo and pushes into the bathroom. He also dismisses any of Leo's protests. "You steamed up the mirror."
Leo glares through shower curtains, as he washes his arms. After a few seconds, and not hearing anything, Leo's concerned. "You okay there, buddy?"
"I'm pooping," Harley says happily. The sounds of a video game starts up. Leo groans, and hits his head on the wall.
His life has been reduced to nothing but showering while his brother poops next to him. Celine Dion still plays from Leo's iPod sitting at the sink. My Heart Will Go On is so frustratingly amazing that Leo can only sigh when he thinks about what's on the other side of the shower curtains.
He scrubs his hair furiously. "Are you done yet?"
"No!"
Leo closes his eyes and lets the water cascade over his body. He should do his homework after this. Maybe text one of the Stolls or something. Then he'll go to sleep and do the whole day over again. And again. And again.
Leo hears a small but distinct plop! and hits his head against the wall again.
If anything, Leo could run out. Go to 7-Eleven and buy a hot dog. Or maybe escape to the arcade and apply for a job to do something.
He's such a loser. He's a senior, but he doesn't do anything with his life. Leo's friend group is so tiny. Leo used to have so much fun before, so what happened?
Maybe he should do drugs. Leo's 100% sure that someone in the friendly walls of CHB sells drugs. God, maybe Piper does drugs. No, she's too clean for that. Maybe Drew does drugs.
Yeah. Leo can imagine that. Drew making clean cut lines on her compact mirror with a gift card to Forever 21 or some other store Leo can't possibly bring himself to care about. She leans in and snorts through a straw. Probably a black straw. Her pearl necklace hits the edge of the mirror.
"Christ, Harley." Leo jumps back as the water turns cold. Harley had just flushed the toilet, and Leo is ultimately the one affected. "Give a warning."
"I did but you weren't listening to me." Harley's humming as he washes his hands. "I'm all done, Leo!"
"Yeah, yeah." Leo flicks water over the curtain at Harley. "Hurry up and get out now."
The door shutting is the sound for Leo to get out. The water seems to refuse to turn back to its previously hot state, so Leo is left with no choice but to leave his once relaxing haven. He keeps the thoughts about Drew doing drugs though. That's… one of his more better and amazing daydreams.
"Ha," Leo walks into his room with only a towel on. He cha-cha and salsas his way inside, as his iPod plays La Bamba. "Druggin' Drew. Drew Drugs an' Druggin'."
He's going delirious like he's the one doing drugs. "Drew does drugs chugging cocaine down her nose canals." Leo laughs hysterically. "Drew does drugs in the driveway, doing dunks in the highway, doing drinks sideways-"
"Oh my God, Leo."
Leo shrieks and throws his iPod at the voice. Leo has never been good at throwing with force (although his accuracy is pretty good), so Jason Grace catches it before it bounces off his forehead.
"What are you doing here!?"
"What are you doing here?"
"I live here."
"I sent you a text."
"You what?" Leo shuffles around his room to find his phone. He finds it in his school bag, only half charged, and without any messages.
Right-o. He had blocked Jason's number in a fit of anger, which seems like a bad idea now that he looks back on it. Best friends don't ignore best friends. But Jason does, and Leo is tired of that. Fighting fire with fire.
"Why are you in my house? How are you in my house?" As far as Leo knows, the front door is locked, and Harley has been taught to never open the door ever. Although, perhaps Harley thinks that it's okay for Jason to come in because he's here so often.
Jason seems to take interest in Leo's messy desk like he's never seen it before. "Piper and I were supposed to go bowling. Piper's getting dressed, so I looked across through the window and saw yours open."
"Dude," Leo throws a sock at Jason. "Have you ever heard of trespassing?"
Jason sits on Leo's bed and pats the spot next to him. "Sit with me, man."
"Don't man me," Leo pulls boxer briefs on under his towel and sits down a little away from Jason.
"Leo, come on. We need to talk."
Leo rolls his eyes. "And we are. Why are you acting so weird and creepy? You're the one angry at me for something I didn't do."
Jason's eyebrows furrow. "Where were you?"
Leo stares at him bemusedly. "What?"
"You. Thanksgiving? We were supposed to eat at my house. Take-out was great with Piper but would've been better with all three of us. With you. Remember, we talked about this?"
"Why would Piper even celebrate Thanksgiving? Like five days later the same pilgrims killed the Native Americans that helped them. It's messed up." Leo has no recollection of any conversation about eating take-out at Jason's house.
He had spent the day in pajamas watching Jake and Nyssa argue over macaroni and cheese versus rice. In the end, they had both, at least until Harley stole the macaroni and ran to his room. Festus had vomited in the toilet and laid on Leo's bed all day. Festus has been mopey till this day actually.
Jason's shifts closer. "It doesn't even matter what the day is for! You're supposed to be there! You've been so distant. What's up with you?"
Leo feels cold. He stands up to pull on one of the discarded t-shirts along the floor, hoping it's not too awfully dirty and stained.
"Dude. Chill out. It's hard talking to you when you're all angry." Leo opens the door and steps out. He's welcomed into the cool air of the rest of the house. Leo floats down the stairs and to the fridge in the kitchen, knowing well about his second shadow waiting for an answer.
"Are you going to say something? You've been so weird lately." Jason folds his arms, as he leans against a counter.
Leo sighs. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Listen, maybe you talked about it with Piper, but you sure as hell didn't talk about it with me."
"It was at lunch the week before." Jason clenches his jaw. "Y'know? You know what- just nevermind."
Leo's stomach has finished tying itself into a giant knot of trepidation and agony. "Look, Jason-"
"Leo," Jason takes a deep breath. "I seriously get that you're mad at me for something. I don't know what, but I thought you could get over it. I thought we could get over it."
Where is all this coming from? Leo's hand clenches a bottle of juice. "What-"
"Listen, I just came in to talk with my best friend, not to argue with him." Jason closes his eyes. "If you're still mad at me for whatever the hell I did, then go ahead. I just thought-"
"Grace," Leo steps past Jason. "Shut the fuck up."
Even with Leo feeling like he wants to curl up and cry (which he really really really does want to do), he speaks clearly. "I'm not mad at you, so get over yourself. I honestly do not care about this."
Jason opens his eyes. "You're not mad?"
"No?" Leo gaze settles just short of Jason's eyes. They focus in on donuts. "I'm not sure why you even thought I was."
"You've been avoiding me. Me and Piper."
"No, I haven't. Didn't we have this conversation before? I talk to you guys all the time."
Jason shifts, his eyes narrowing at something behind Leo. "As much as you say you aren't, you are. It freaking sucks-"
"Jason?" The sound of plastic bags hitting the counter brings attention to the other person in the room. Nyssa looks tired as she opens a bag to take out rice. "Wasn't expecting you."
You and me both. Leo wants to say. He doesn't, but drinks slowly.
"Hey, Nyssa. I'm not intruding, am I?" Jason steps away from Leo. Neither of them had realized how close he had gotten.
Nyssa shrugs, looking at Leo to read his face. "You're always welcome here. Are you staying for the night?"
"Thank you, but not tonight." Jason scratches at his cheek, hand bumping his glasses. "I should be going soon, bowling with Piper and all that. Leo, you still have an open invite."
"Nah, man. I have chores and stuff." Leo doesn't actually have anything to do. He raises meaningful eyebrows at Nyssa for her to agree with him.
Unfortunately, Nyssa's back is to Leo as she puts away groceries. "It's fine, Leo. Harley got in trouble with that friend of his, so he'll need to do some dishes as punishment anyway- oh." She fidgets uncomfortably when she turns to the other boys.
Perhaps she stopped talking because she might've seen something in Leo's face pleading her to say no. Perhaps she saw Leo's want to be alone at this moment. Maybe she heard the arguing a few minutes earlier and thought better of letting Leo go out with Jason.
Whatever it is, it doesn't matter because Jason grins and tugs on Leo's arm. "Get ready to lose Valdez."
Leo's knees brush against each other making him recoil. "I'm not even wearing pants. Let me change first."
Nyssa mouths sorry when he passes by.
He puts on sweatpants and his winter coat but doesn't go back downstairs. Leo texts Nyssa and opens his window.
And jumps.
ME [17:59]: nys im going 4 a walk
ME [18:00]: ill b back b4 10 i promise
ME [18:00]: i have money 4 food
ME [18:01]: can u tell jason im feeling sick
NYSSA [18:13]: Be safe, Leo.
NYSSA [18:13]: I'm worried for you.
NYSSA [18:15]: Come home at 9:30.
NYSSA [18:16]: You can always talk to me.
NYSSA [18:18]: …
NYSSA [18:18]: Be safe.
Leo wanders aimlessly around his town. Dirty snow crunches under his feet, as rain pounds down like a war drum.
He doesn't have anywhere to go. He doesn't really have any friends where he can just drop by and say Hey! It's just Leo staying over for a few hours to hang out! Hope you don't mind!
He can make a mental list of everyone he's close with:
1. Jason and Piper
2.
They're his best friends so that's all Leo's ever really needed. Leo tries adjusting his list a bit to be less exclusive:
Jason and Piper.
Drew.
Nico.
Stolls.
Rachel.
The first three are automatically out, and he doesn't know where the Stolls or Rachel live. Leo heads towards the general direction where he thinks Nico lives. He sends Nico a text ahead of time just to make sure the boy knows he's coming.
Nico doesn't respond. Leo doesn't expect him to.
With all this time, Leo can think. The brisk air is definitely a splash of water over his clouded mind. He doesn't know what the fuck is going on with Jason. He can't talk to Piper about it either.
Leo has no one. He wants to just run to Piper so they could watch movies, or so he could braid her hair, or they can sneak into Drew's room and mess with her things. He wants to text Jason so they could steal Jason's dad's car, or so they could star gaze, or they could dance around each other's rooms listening to TLC and the Spice Girls.
But he can't. Piper would baby him, asking what's wrong when absolutely nothing is wrong, soleavemealone. Jason would just yell at him for doing something he absolutely didn't do, fuck, juststopyellingatme.
Leo's going to scream.
His thoughts are all jumbled up as he crosses the street and- stopitstopitstopitSTOPIT-
A car flies into a stop, as it slams into its breaks. The headlights blind him, and Leo looks up from under his hood. Whoever is in the car honks at Leo, before opening the door.
"Valdez?"